Barbecue

The Smithsonian says:

“If any gastronomical treat could give the proverbially American apple pie a run for its money, it might just be barbecue. The culinary tradition of cooking meat low and slow over indirect flame (the true definition of barbecue – imposters who grill, take note) has become so prevalent over the years that BBQ itself represents a sort of pop culture.

Barbecue belt residents would argue that the beef-based BBQ of Texas doesn’t constitute authentic barbecue. To be real barbecue, purists argue that the meat must be exclusively pork, because the original BBQ-ers of the southern colonies depended on the cheap, low-maintenance nature of pig farming. 

The original styles of barbecue are thought to be those that originated in the easternmost colonies, like the vinegar-based “whole hog” barbecue found in Virginia and North Carolina. The technique of adding sauce to the meat as it cooks came from British colonists. North Carolina’s vinegar-based sauces are also a remnant of these Briton’s penchant for the tart sauce. In South Carolina, which housed a large population of French and German immigrants, a mustard-based sauce was born, again, a reflection of the immigrant populations’ traditional preferences.

In Memphis, the regionally unique sweet, tomato-based barbecue sauce was born from the city’s status as a popular port along the Mississippi River. Memphis residents could easily obtain a variety of goods, including molasses, which provided the region’s sweet barbecue taste. Out of Memphis’ barbecue genes, the last of America’s four main barbecue styles – Kansas City barbecue – was born.”

I grew up with fake barbecue. The only “BBQ” I experienced as a child in the Great Lakes area was really grilled meat, usually chicken. Toss some Kraft BBQ sauce on it, and it magically became “BBQ chicken.” Sometimes we made “BBQ hamburgers” too. I don’t recall stumbling upon pulled pork until I was an adult, and learned what “real” barbecue was. Low and slow, with smoke involved. (Yes, I know pulled pork does not necessarily = BBQ, you can make it in a crock pot, but what I find here is smoked barbecue pulled pork.)

In the South (we don’t count Texas and their beef) ‘real’ barbecue is pork, just as the Smithsonian says. In a restaurant you can find both brisket and chicken, but if you are with friends pulling out the smoker (or better still, if you can get to a real BBQ pit) , it will be pork down here. When we have barbecue brought in at work, it is so yummy that I don’t use sauce of any kind. I just love the tender, smoky flavor. 

Grilled chicken with sauce can be yummy, but just don’t call it barbecue.